Austrian Easter Bread

3/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of butter or margarine
2 packages of quick-rise yeast
1/2 cup of warm water (105 to 115ºF.)
1 whole egg
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 tablespoon of grated lemon peel
4 3/4 cup of un-sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of chopped blanched almonds
2 tablespoons of sliced blanched almonds

Heat milk until bubbles form around edge of pan. Remove form heat; add sugar, salt and butter, stirring until butter melts. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in large bowl of electric mixer; stir until dissolved. Add milk mixture. Beat 3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg with fork; add milk mixture. Add lemon peel and 2 1/2 cups of flour; beat with electric mixer until smooth, about 2 minutes. Gradually add 2 cups flour, mix with hands until dough is stiff enough to leave bowl; mix in remaining 1/4 cup flour, if needed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Knead in raisins and chopped almonds. Place in a lightly greased large bowl; turn over to bring greased side up. Cover with a towel. Place bowl of dough in a warm (85ºF.) place, free from drafts, let rise for about 45 minutes or until double in bulk. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board; divide into 3 equal parts. Using palms of hands, roll each piece into a 24-inch long strip. Braid dough strips; press ends together to seal. Place braid on large, greased cookie sheet. Put whole egg (still in shell) in center of the middle strip. Cover with towel and let rise about 25 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Brush dough with egg yolk-water mixture; sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a rich golden brown. (If crust seems too brown after 25 minutes of baking, cover with aluminum foil.) Let cool on rack; serve warm. Make 2 braids with this recipe. Instead of dividing dough in 3 equal parts, or divide it in 6 equal parts, and process accordingly.